Top 17 Music Albums of 1966
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 11/14/2025 16:15
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:33).
- Chart size: 17 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 05/15/2014]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
927
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by George Martin. The growth of The Beatles from Help! to Rubber Soul to Revolver is staggering. That it took place in the span of a year and a half is amazing. It baffles me when people say that Revolver is nothing special. This album is special in every way. They took the under three minute pop song format and turned it upside down, into something it had never been before. Hard to believe that "Eleanor Rigby" clocks in at 2:08. "Tomorrow Never Knows" at 2:57. How do you cram that much experience into such a short period of time? Genius, I say. Genius.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
49,607
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1966-COLUMBIA
Produced By BOB JOHNSTON
1. Rainy Day Womer #12 & 35
2. Pledging My Time
3. Visions of Johanna
4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
5. I Want You
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
8. Just Like A Woman
9. Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine
10. Temporary Like Achilles
11. Absolutely Sweet Marie
12. 4th Time Around
13. Obviously 5 Believers
14. Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
In 1966, while The Beatles were just getting around to recording Revolver, Bob Dylan was already at his creative peak...for the first time. Blonde On Blonde was a new high for Dylan, and also the end of an era. Continuing where Highway 61 Revisited had left off, the album stays in the electric blues vein, but with a lot more of an eclectic sound. "Just Like A Woman" is a classic, and the album also boasted hits in "I Want You" and the questionable "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35". This is a stunning and beautiful album...who knows where he would have gone from here?
After the release of Blonde On Blonde, Dylan was in a motorcycle accident that led to his holing up in New York with The Band and recording The Basement Tapes. Blonde On Blonde is also the first significant double album in rock. It's a true classic, one of the greatest albums ever made. An easy one to rate. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced By BOB JOHNSTON
1. Rainy Day Womer #12 & 35
2. Pledging My Time
3. Visions of Johanna
4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
5. I Want You
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
8. Just Like A Woman
9. Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine
10. Temporary Like Achilles
11. Absolutely Sweet Marie
12. 4th Time Around
13. Obviously 5 Believers
14. Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
In 1966, while The Beatles were just getting around to recording Revolver, Bob Dylan was already at his creative peak...for the first time. Blonde On Blonde was a new high for Dylan, and also the end of an era. Continuing where Highway 61 Revisited had left off, the album stays in the electric blues vein, but with a lot more of an eclectic sound. "Just Like A Woman" is a classic, and the album also boasted hits in "I Want You" and the questionable "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35". This is a stunning and beautiful album...who knows where he would have gone from here?
After the release of Blonde On Blonde, Dylan was in a motorcycle accident that led to his holing up in New York with The Band and recording The Basement Tapes. Blonde On Blonde is also the first significant double album in rock. It's a true classic, one of the greatest albums ever made. An easy one to rate. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
24,988
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Produced by Brian Wilson. One of the records that changed the way albums are made, Pet Sounds is a great mix of non traditional rock instrumentation, great songwriting, and what always made the Beach Boys great: perfect harmony vocals. "God Only Knows" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and Wilson's vision here is breathtaking. With just enough doo wop influenced surf rock in the mix to make Pet Sounds a truly unique album, one of the best ever made.
[First added to this chart: 04/15/2012]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,129
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/01/2014]
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[First added to this chart: 04/30/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,277
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 03/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,496
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1966-ELEKTRA
Produced By PAUL A ROTHCHILD, MARK ABRAMSON & BARRY FRIEDMAN
1. Walkin' Blues
2. Get Out Of My Life, Woman
3. I Got A Mind To Give Up Living
4. All These Blues
5. Work Song
6. Mary, Mary
7. Two Trains Running
8. Never Say No
9. East-West
The importance of the Butterfield Blues Band is somewhat buried in rock history, but it should be well remembered. This was not just a bunch of white guys with a love of the blues...this was an interracial band formed in the early 60's with credentials...these guys were bonafied! Their rythym section came from Howlin' Wolf, and Butterfield himself was a blues prodigy. The big guns were the guitarists, boasting at the time of East-West none other than Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield.
The first 8 songs on East-West are good, but it's just a warm up. (Interesting note: "Mary, Mary" went uncredited on the record for years because the band refused to believe it had been written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees). It's the title track, a 13 + minute instrumental, that is one of rock's most important songs (the late 60's San Francisco sound came from this one song). It's also the song that moved Bloomfield into the ranks of the guitar greats (he had already led Dylan into electric music on Highway 61 Revisited), and it's a truly remarkable song. (Bloomfield died in 1981.)
Don't forget this band. An underrated piece of the evolution of rock in the 60's. [First added to this chart: 10/05/2012]
Produced By PAUL A ROTHCHILD, MARK ABRAMSON & BARRY FRIEDMAN
1. Walkin' Blues
2. Get Out Of My Life, Woman
3. I Got A Mind To Give Up Living
4. All These Blues
5. Work Song
6. Mary, Mary
7. Two Trains Running
8. Never Say No
9. East-West
The importance of the Butterfield Blues Band is somewhat buried in rock history, but it should be well remembered. This was not just a bunch of white guys with a love of the blues...this was an interracial band formed in the early 60's with credentials...these guys were bonafied! Their rythym section came from Howlin' Wolf, and Butterfield himself was a blues prodigy. The big guns were the guitarists, boasting at the time of East-West none other than Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield.
The first 8 songs on East-West are good, but it's just a warm up. (Interesting note: "Mary, Mary" went uncredited on the record for years because the band refused to believe it had been written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees). It's the title track, a 13 + minute instrumental, that is one of rock's most important songs (the late 60's San Francisco sound came from this one song). It's also the song that moved Bloomfield into the ranks of the guitar greats (he had already led Dylan into electric music on Highway 61 Revisited), and it's a truly remarkable song. (Bloomfield died in 1981.)
Don't forget this band. An underrated piece of the evolution of rock in the 60's. [First added to this chart: 10/05/2012]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
312
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
1966 – LONDON
Produced By ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
1. Paint It Black
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Think
7. Flight 505
8. High And Dry
9. It’s Not Easy
10. I Am Waiting
11. Goin’ Home
The Rolling Stones were starting to change in 1966. Aftermath was their first album to consist of all original material. Brian Jones had his best album as a member of the band. They were starting to move away from straight blues to incorporating elements of other styles into their music. And the songs that were hits still rank among their best works. There are two different versions of this album. The British version has two more tracks, and has the following songs that are not on the American version: “Mother’s Little Helper”, “High And Dry”, “Out Of Time”, “Take It Or Leave It”, and “What To Do”. The only song the American version has that’s not on the British release is “Paint It Black”. This is the American track list above.
Aftermath would lead into their brief 1967 journey into psychedelic music, after which they would hit their peak and start the process of replacing Jones. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are starting to really find themselves as songwriters, and the energy of this then young band makes everything here work. “Paint It Black”, “Under My Thumb” and “Lady Jane” are not only excellent, but they also point towards the band’s future, all in good ways. But it’s ultimately the Brian Jones album. His guitar work with Richards is perfect, and he adds dulcimer, sitar, marimba…he could play just about everything, and he shows it off here. Aftermath is easily the best of the early period Stones albums. Either version works just fine. An essential volume in the history of one of our greatest bands. [First added to this chart: 05/04/2023]
Produced By ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
1. Paint It Black
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Think
7. Flight 505
8. High And Dry
9. It’s Not Easy
10. I Am Waiting
11. Goin’ Home
The Rolling Stones were starting to change in 1966. Aftermath was their first album to consist of all original material. Brian Jones had his best album as a member of the band. They were starting to move away from straight blues to incorporating elements of other styles into their music. And the songs that were hits still rank among their best works. There are two different versions of this album. The British version has two more tracks, and has the following songs that are not on the American version: “Mother’s Little Helper”, “High And Dry”, “Out Of Time”, “Take It Or Leave It”, and “What To Do”. The only song the American version has that’s not on the British release is “Paint It Black”. This is the American track list above.
Aftermath would lead into their brief 1967 journey into psychedelic music, after which they would hit their peak and start the process of replacing Jones. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are starting to really find themselves as songwriters, and the energy of this then young band makes everything here work. “Paint It Black”, “Under My Thumb” and “Lady Jane” are not only excellent, but they also point towards the band’s future, all in good ways. But it’s ultimately the Brian Jones album. His guitar work with Richards is perfect, and he adds dulcimer, sitar, marimba…he could play just about everything, and he shows it off here. Aftermath is easily the best of the early period Stones albums. Either version works just fine. An essential volume in the history of one of our greatest bands. [First added to this chart: 05/04/2023]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,322
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 12/28/2012]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,459
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 17. Page 1 of 2
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Top 17 Music Albums of 1966 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 12% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 2 | 12% | |
| The Remains | 1 | 6% | |
| The Beach Boys | 1 | 6% | |
| Frank Sinatra | 1 | 6% | |
| Laura Nyro | 1 | 6% | |
| The Mamas And The Papas | 1 | 6% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 17 Music Albums of 1966 chart changes
| New entries |
|---|
| Sinatra At The Sands by Frank Sinatra |
Top 17 Music Albums of 1966 similarity to your chart(s)
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Top 17 Music Albums of 1966 ratings
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Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 05/02/2018 19:42 |  jdenny2018 | 102 | 91/100 |
| ! | 09/03/2014 01:25 | Nickie | 489 | 79/100 |
| ! | 08/22/2014 14:35 |  thedistantship | 162 | 84/100 |
| ! | 01/10/2013 01:12 | guigs13 | 237 | 88/100 |
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From jdenny2018 05/02/2018 19:42 | #214049
jdenny2018 05/02/2018 19:42 | #214049
Solid chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From guigs13 01/10/2013 01:13 | #60871
Nice chart :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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